[Rocco Del Sesto]

01/09/67 Monday

London, England
Julien Van Mechelen – MW (6-7-1) vs. Gerry Hassett – LHW (18-10-0)


Julien Van Mechelen - Belgium Rating 1
Middleweight 1964-68

7 wins / 15 losses / 2 draws / 2 KO

Birthplace: Charleroi, Belgium

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Middleweight club fighter out of the Lowlands of western Europe. The latter half of his career he fought some guys with decent looking records at least but with little success. In his 2nd career fight he lost a 6 round decision to Victor Chapelle. He was 5-3-1 early in his career then the losses piled up against the better competition.
The opponents in many of those losses were Harry Kneipp(24-12-5), Tom Bogs (77-8-1, rated in game), Souleymane Diallo (41-5-3), Gerry Hassett (21-12-0), Jupp Elze(34-5-2), Horst Wieczorek(26-9-6), Jacques Marty (21-7-0), Klaus Stockman (28-9-10), Luis Felledo (121-6-1, rated in game), and Arno Prick (29-24-5). Julien managed a draw with Manfred Graus (32-17-4).

Some decent looking middleweight opponents there, at least by just looking at thier records. Not sure of the overall quality of the opposition.


Gerry Hassett - UK (Northern Ireland) Rating 1
Light Heavyweight 1950-53, 60, 64-69

21 wins / 12 losses / 0 draw / 5 KO

Birthplace: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Hassett's career was really two parts. He fought from 1950 to 1953 compiling an 11-3-0 record with all the fights but one in his hometown Belfast. He then didn't fright for 6-1/2 years until finally climbing back in the ring in July 1960, winning that fight. He didn't fight again until Feb. 1964 from then on till his last fight in April 1969 he fought off and on compiling an 9-9-0 record. A lot of those fights were again just in his homeland, Northern Ireland. He fought a Lloyd Walford in Manchester England, and John (Young) McCormack in London. In 1966 he traveled to Pavia, Italy and fought Giovanni Biancardi, loosing an 8 round decision to Biancardi. He then traveled to Gothenburg, Sweden to loose a fight to a Teofil Pollex.

He then traveled back to England, to Bristol and won an 8 round decision over Stan Cullis whom Rasmuth had rated into the game. That set up his fight in early 1967 against middleweight Julien Van Mechelen. In his last career fight in April 1969 he fought Terry McTigue for the vacant Northern Ireland Light Heavyweight Title. McTigue KO'd Hassett in the 5th sending Gerry into retirement.

Interesting to note that while Hassett lost two fights to disqualification he also won 4 fights that his opponent was DQ'd. Wonder how much it was Hassett egging on his opponent?!

The fight......

Hassett out of Belfast, Northern Ireland was in the middle of the second phase of his career have fought regularly from 1950-53 then fought only 1 time in the 10-1/2 years before making a comeback in early 1964. Van Mechelen, a middleweight out of Belgium was entering a phase of his career where he was meeting some better class of middleweights and lights heavies that would prove to show his own short comings in his boxing career.
Our fight here in Jan. 1967 was a scheduled 10 rounder that went the distance with Hassett the victor in a decision. Our replay also went the full 10. Hassett in the replay though was what appeared to be more dominant then the real thing in 67. Gerry controlled the action throughout. Judge one gave a very close round 2 to Van Mechelen and judge 2 gave the 4th and 5th rounds to the Belgian also, though I’m not sure why. Judge 3 after scoring the first 8 rounds to Hassett apparently felt some pity on Van Mechelen as he gave the round to the Belgian. The 10th round, Hassett was the clear point winner, but a head butt earned him a point penalty from the referee and thus a 9-9 round by the judges. At 1:10 in the 3rd round Hassett caught Julien in the head with a wicked cross that sent the Belgian down for a 6 count and then a minute into the 7th round Hassett landed an uppercut sending Van Mechelen down a second time in the fight. He manages to get up though in 8 and finished the fight. Too much for Van Mechelen though the man from Belfast was as the judges scored it a unanimous decision victory for Hassett, 98-89, 97-90, 98-89.